Customs officials seized 557 turtles at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka today.

The turtles were found in five luggage at Gate No. 3 around 11:00am, SM Sohel Rahman, joint commissioner of customs at the airport, told The Daily Star.

The people, who were carrying the luggage, fled the scene after being challenged by the customs officials, the customs official said.

The Indian Pond Turtles were being smuggled to Vietnam, according to a team of forest department, which rushed to the airport soon after the recovery.